100 Years of Indian Cinema: Bollywood's 50 most memorable scenes of all time

April 30, 2013, 6:05 pm

Indian cinema has completed its 100 years on May 3, 2013. India's first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra' was released on this day in 1913. On this occasion, we bring to you a compilation of 50 iconic film scenes that have influenced the popular culture in a big way.

Mother India (1957): In Mehboob Khan's 'Mother India' a righteous Radha (Nargis) shoots her younger son Birju (Sunil Dutt), a bandit who kidnaps a girl of his village on her wedding day. While fleeing with the girl, Birju is warned by Radha to let the girl go. When he diesnt relent, Radha shoots him and Birju eventually dies in his mother's arms.

Sholay (1975): Who can forget the 'Ye Haath Mujhe Dede Thakur' scene from one of the most memorable films from Bollywood. Taking revenge for his family's death Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) hunts for Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) but the latter instead cuts off Thakur's hands. The acting prowess displayed by Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar makes it one of the most powerful scenes in the film.

Anand (1971): Back in 70s, when heroes were all about machismo, Hrishikesh Mukherjee wove a story around human emotions. Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna)suffers from cancer and after filling the life of the people around him with happiness, he succumbs to his ailment. Who can forget that poignant scene from 'Anand' where Dr Bhaskar Bannerjee (Bachchan) coaxes a dead Anand( Rajesh Khanna) to speak and suddenly Khanna's voice booms out of the gramaphone 'Babumoshai'.

Do Bigha Zameen (1953): A farmer moves to the city and becomes a rickshaw puller in order to earn more money to get back his land. Shambhu (Balraj Sahni) who pulls a rickshaw is made to race with a horse driven cart for money is the high point of the film.

Mughal-e-Azam (1960): K Asif's magnum opus was a classic is every sense. From the dialogues to the sets to the acting, 'Mughal-e-Azam' spelled brilliance. The daring romance between a court dancer and a prince makes it a classic film.

Pakeezah (1972): Pakeezah might have been all about Meena Kumari but it's Raj Kumar's entry scene in the film that makes it all the more memorable. Salim Ahmed Khan (Raj Kumar) boards a train to find a woman in the compartment and a look at her feet makes him fall for her. Next day Pakeezah eeing Pakeezah (Meena Kumari) wakes up to a letter put near her feet which reads, 'Aapke paer bohot khubsoorat hai, inhe zameen pe na rakhiyega, maele ho jaenge'.

Devdas (1955): Failed in love, Devdas (Dilip Kumar) takes to liquor after the marriage of Paro (Suchitra Sen). As a hopeless lover, Devdas drinks to reduce the pain of losing his lover Paro. Who can forget the popular dialogue, 'Kon Kambhakht Bardaasht Karne Ke Liye Peeta Hai'. Dilip Kumar beautifully brought the pain of unrequited love on screen.

Deewar (1975): Amitabh Bachchan rose to popularity with his angry man look and he continued with this avatar even in 'Deewar'. Vijay (Amitabh) climbs up the ladder with his misdeeds and becomes a rich man while his brother Ravi (Shashi Kapoor) is an honest policeman. Seeing his brother Ravi going on the righteous path, Vijay confronts him, Mera Paas Bangla Hai, Gaadi Hai, Bank Balance Hai..Tumhare Paas Kya Hai? Mere Paas Maa Hai'. The scene turned out to be one of the most memorable from the film.

Amar Prem (1971): Rajesh Khanna cajoles an emotional Sharmila Tagore to not cry after she is reminded that her reputation in the society is not deemed fit for her to interact with people from normal households. "Pushpa I hate tears," says Khanna to Tagore.

Pyaasa (1957): Who can forget the poignant scene where in a struggling poet Vijay (Guru Dutt) who is considered dead returns to the theatre where a ceremony in his memory is taking place. Standing with his hands on the door, he denounced the hypocrisy of the world with the song 'Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye Toh Kya Hai'.

Guide (1965): Raju (Dev Anand) in 'Guide' decides to fast and pray for rains in the village he has taken refuge after coming out of the jail. While fasting he wishes to return to his past life, he eventually stays back to pray for rains. The village after days of praying rejoice when it starts raining while Raju, after days of fasting, dies.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995): Raj (Shah Rukh) comes to India to win the heart of Simran's (Kajol) family. But refuses to elope with her until her family gives him the permission to marry her. In the end, seeing Raj leave on a train, the stubborn father finally gives in and says 'Jaa Simran Jaa Jeele Apni Zindagi'. Simran runs behind the moving train to unite with her lover.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983): Who can forget the hilarious scene when running away from Taneja (Pankaj Kapoor) and his gang, Vinod (Naseeruddin Shah) and Sudhir (Ravi Bawani) accidentally enter a theatre where Mahabharata is being staged. The constant confusion adds to the hilarity.

Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam (1962): Chhoti Bahu (Meena Kumari) pleads her husband to stay with her while her unfaithful husband eggs her to drink with him if she wants him to stay back with her. Pivotal, poignant scene which sets the tone of the story.

Andaz Apna Apna (1994): Rajkumar Santoshi's comedy of errors is still one of the best comedy films of all time. The film brought a new kind of ending where more than action it was the comedy that took over the climax. The final showdown between Amar (Aamir Khan), Prem (Salman Khan) and Teja (Paresh Rawal) is one of the funniest scenes in Bollywood.

Gol Maal (1979): Who can forget the hilarious scene where Bhawani Shankar (Utpal Dutt) confronts Ramprasad (Amol Palekar) about his presence in the football match. Ramprasad immediately comes up with a story of a mustache less twin brother Laxmanprasad.

Agneepath (1990): "Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. Baap ka naam Dinanath Chauhan". The film may have flopped at the Box Office, but the scene and swagger with which Amitabh Bacchan said it is well etched in every one's memory. One of Amitabh's best preformance, the scenes has Amitabh coming to the police station and being convinced by the ACP to leave his illegal activities.

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977): Manomohan Desai's cult classic film had some hilarious moments. A complete entertainer, the film brought the comic element in actors like Rishi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Amitabh Bachchan. Our favourite scene is where Amitabh after getting beaten up by goons, puts ointment and bandage on his reflection in a drunk state. Hilarious scene, it brings a smile on one's face every single time one watches it.

Mahal (1949): Kamal Amrohi was a visionary director and Ashok Kumar a perfect method actor. The duo extracted the best out of each other in the sequence where Hari Shankar (Ashok Kumar)realises the presence of a mystery woman in his house.

Bobby (1972): Raj Kapoor wasn't called showman without any reason. The way he introduced Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in 'Bobby' was mesmerising. Raj Kapoor's strength lied in his ability of turning ordinary daily life situations into cinematic wonders. Both the lead actors meet each other formally for the first time but it was the audience whose heart was pounding faster than them.

Zanjeer (1973): Sher Khan (Pran) pulls up a chair to sit in the police station which is kicked by Inspector Vijay(Amitabh Bachchan). Vijay tells him that till the time he is not asked to sit, he is not supposed to sit. Powerful scene by two extremely powerful actors.

Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973): Two brothers unite after years of separation while the elder one looks on teary eyed helplessly in this Nasir Hussain song.

Sadma (1983): Perhaps one of the most touching scenes of all time, 'Sadma's' last scene where a cured Sridevi cannot recognize Kamal Haasan, the man who took care of her during her days of illness, is bound to get a lump in the throat. Kamal's superlative performance makes this scene a must in this list.

Mr India (1987): Bollywood had seen innumerable villains in the past but Mogambo in Mr. India was class apart. Who can forget the scene where he moves his hands on a glass bowl and says 'Mogambo Khush Hua'.

Shakti (1982): Ramesh Sippy's 'Shakti' paired the two biggest superstars of Bollywood-Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bahchan as father and son. During the climax of the film, Police officer Dilip Kumar chases his outlawed son Amitabh Bachchan on the runway and eventually shoots him. The dramatic dialogues between an outlawed son dying in his father's arms makes this a poignant one in the film.

Waqt (1965): Raaj Kumar chewed the words well before speaking, but this process added an enigmatic charm to his dialogue. This was Yash Chopra's third film as director, so even he was evolving as a storyteller. Can you guess the dialogue? "Chinoy seth, jinke apne ghar sheeshe ke hon woh doosron par pathar nahi phenka karte."

Koshish (1972): Gulzar's heart-touching tale of a differently abled couple (Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bachchan) gets a bit lighter but more profound in the scene where the two want a name for their newly born child. It is multi-layered and showcases several emotions in just a span of some minutes.

Damini (1993): One of Sunny Deol's best performance till date(he even got the National Award in the Best Supporting Actor category), Rajkumar Santoshi's 'Damini' was high voltage drama on justice denied to a rape victim and how a woman who wants to speak out the truth is termed medically unstable by the perpetrators. The scene where an exasperated lawyer shouts "Tareekh par tareekh milti rahi hai, lekin insaaf nahi mila" highlights the pathetic condition of the country's judiciary.

Mera Naam Joker (1970): Raj Kapoor was definitely ahead of his time. He explored the subjects related to adolescence around 43 years ago. This still is from the scene where young Raju (Rishi Kapoor) watches his teacher Mary (Simi Garewal) changing her clothes with utmost curiosity.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994): Madhuri Dixit's bare back inspired scholars and film critics to decode the mystery of her magical influence on the film enthusiasts. The scene in which Salman Khan gently hits her with a flower gets a place in our list simply because of its emotion evoking capacity.

Karma (1986): Dr Dang (Anupam Kher) is no ordinary man who could be slapped by anyone, not even by Dada Thakur (Dilip Kumar). Dang made up his mind about a ruthless revenge just because of this slap. This powerful scene directed by Subhash Ghai is a lesson in acting for newcomers.

Mirch Masala (1987): Smita Patil's acting calibre doesn't need any certificate but the climax of 'Mirch Masala' is probably her best. She turned a personal rebellion into a symbol which stood against all kinds of suppression. Ketan Mehta was the director.

Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981): Who wouldn't have cried when Vasu (Kamal Haasan) and Sapna (Rati Agnihotri) die in the climax of K Balachander's film! Their tragic deaths in the end gave the film and the issue of discrimination on the basis of language a whole new dimension.

Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989): Cute, innocent romance-that's what 'Maine Pyaar Kiya' was all about. Remember the scene where Salman Khan gifts new friend Bhagyashree a cap and she says "Thank you" to which Salman promptly says "Dosti ka ek usool hai, no sorry, no thank you"? That dialogue became the underlying theme of the film and was used by innumerable lovers later on.

Baazigar (1993): Possibly one of the most chilling scenes of the 1990s era, Shah Rukh Khan's character (Ajay) throws his gilrfriend Seema (Shilpa Shetty) from a high rise building minutes before the couple are to get married.

Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998): The scene introduced Salman Khan's character in the film. The actor emerges shirtless, playing a guitar and goes on to sing "Oh oh jane jana". The film introduced Salman in his shirtless avatar for the first time which later became a trend in almost all of Salman's film.

:Lagaan (2001): The film which went to the Oscars, Aamir Khan's unique film on a bunch of villagers taking on a team of Britishers in a game of cricket in the pre independent India is a memorable one. The scene where a group of villagers go to meet their zamindar in an attempt to get their tax exempted and instead get challenged by the commanding officer to a game of cricket. Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) takes up the challenge as the officer puts a condition that if they are able to win, their tax will be exempted.

Gadar (2001): Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) was a man of verbal as well as physical power. He gets trapped among his haters in Pakistan but he doesn't accept his defeat. Finally, a hand-pump becomes his weapon against an army of fanatics. Only Sunny Deol could have made such over the top scene so believable.

Vaastav (1999): After becoming a gangster, Raghu walks in to meet his family and shows off his wealth. Gifts his mother a saree and shows off the various gold chains around his neck and decalres "50 tola!"

Chak De India (2007): Right before the climax, coach Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) gives the girls the much needed pep up talk about how they have "70 Minute" to prove all that they are worth. One of the best speeches given in the history of cinema, the scene gives goosebumps and leaves a lump in the throat.

Swades (2004): NRI Mohan Bhargava gets a reality check on a train journey when he spots a little boy selling water for 25 paise. Poverty in the country highlighted brilliantly in the film.

Krantiveer (1994): Mehul Kumar's film has attained a cult status just because of Nana Patekar, who was in his top form in 'Krantiveer'. The scene where he demonstrates how the same kind of blood (Well, not scientifically!) flows in every living being's veins is a treat to watch due to Nana's high voltage performance.

Namak Halaal (1982): Arjun Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) had his own way of dealing with problematic issues. His audacity came from his roots and that provoked him to speak a weird language, which was supposed to be English. Yes, this is a still from the famous 'English is a phunny language' scene.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988): Director Mansoor Khan's 'QSQT' featured two lovers Raj (Aamir) and Rashmi (Juhi), who were looking down the barrels because of the traditional rivalry between two powerful families. Raj went for a completely unexpected end after realising that he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life without Rashmi. It was tough for the spectators to accept such a climax but both the protagonists finished their jobs with aplomb.

Maqbool (2004): One of the most intense relationship dramas of last ten years was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. This still is from the scene which takes place right before the song 'Tu mere rubarau hai.' This is the first scene in the film where Miyan (Irrfan) confesses his love for Nimmi (Tabu). Though Irrfan doesn't speak anything but his expressions say it all.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001): One of the most poignant moment from this Farhan Akhtar film has the three friends looking out at the sea while Sid (Akshaye Khanna) reminds them that their lives are like the ship that will fade out of their vision in some time. He reminds them that in the coming years, life might change so much that they won't remain friends.

Om Shanti Om (2007): Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jano Ramesh babu. It was Deepika Padukone's first film but the kind of confidence she displayed in this scene was amazing in every sense. Farah Khan's film worked at the box office due to such scenes.

Sarkar (2005): The opening scene of 'Sarkar' is like a guide to character placement in a film. RGV wanted Big B to come up with nuanced acting but what the big man did was simply superb. It might be inspired from 'The Godfather' but Amitabh Bachchan made it look entirely Indian.

Kahaani (2012): Bob Biswas (Saswata Chatterjee) was not your usual criminal who would just come and hit you. He will play with you till the ultimate moments. Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) learnt it the hard way and the viewers became skeptical towards otherwise very gentle looking people forever.